1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to temperature sensing utensils for cooking food, and more particularly, to a temperature sensing utensil with modular, interchangeable, detachable heads.
2. Background Art
Cooking utensils and thermometers having detachable and interchangeable heads or implements have been known in the art for several years. In particular, many of these devices include a handle and several heads and/or implements which may be interchangeably attached to and detached from the handle. These devices range in use from kitchen utensils, to utensils for infants, to thermometers. For instance, Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,708, discloses a utensil holder for infants and toddlers that is made up of a generally triangular handle and a utensil head. The handle includes a gripping area and a hollow socket which receives a selected utensil head. The utensil head, in turn, includes a tapered shank with a protuberance which fits inside the hollow socket. The hollow socket further includes a depression for receiving the protuberance on the tapered shank. The utensil head, and more particularly, the tapered shank, may be forced into the hollow socket of the handle such that the protuberance fits into the depression in the socket, thus locking the utensil head into place. The utensil head may be forcibly removed from the handle for interchangeability purposes.
While Thomas discloses a handle with a separate detachable utensil head, there is no electrical connection between the detachable utensil head and the handle. Moreover, while the protuberance on the shank of the head and the depression in the hollow socket of the handle facilitates locking of the utensil head to the handle, such an engagement may be disrupted by simply pulling the handle away from the detachable head. A secure lock is not achieved.
Another example, Chiu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,563, discloses a thermometer having a main body portion capable of accepting a number of different temperature sensing end portions. The main body portion has a receiving region including two female electrical connection sockets, while the sensing end portion has an engaging member including a small detent and two male electrical prongs. The engaging region on the sensing end fits into the receiving region of the main body, and is held in place by the electrical connection between the male prongs and the female receiving sockets, as well as by the mating engagement of the small detent with a depression inside of the handle.
However, to secure the connection between the main body and the sensing end, Chiu et al. relies primarily on the connection of the electrical prongs with the electrical connection ports. While a detent is also disposed on the sensing portion, that detent appears to provide very little locking support, thus allowing inadvertent release of the temperature sensing portion from the main body during use. This fit is especially troublesome in the context of cooking food, wherein the temperature sensing head is ruggedly inserted into and pulled out of various food items. Detachment of the sensing portion or head from the handle can be detrimental in cooking food as detachment of the head from the handle eliminates the electrical connection, and prevents a user from obtaining a proper read-out of food donenessxe2x80x94an undesirable result in cooking meats or other food items which may contain harmful bacteria.
In yet another example, Wallays, U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,918, discloses a kitchen utensil comprising a handle and a series of detachable implements. The handle comprises an inner chamber with a pair a concave seats or recesses, and an inner recessed portion. Each concave seat includes an aperture. The detachable implements each include a mounting portion which comprises a shoulder, a central stem, a head and locking legs. The locking legs further include a protuberance on their respective ends for operable engagement with the apertures in the handle recesses. Further, the locking legs are flexible and may be depressed inwardly to engage and secure the detachable implement into the handle.
Although Wallays discloses a handle with a receiving region which includes apertures to accept specific detents or protuberances on the engaging region of a detachable implement, Wallays does not contemplate an electrical connection. Thus, the engaging and receiving regions of Wallays were not designed to accommodate a secure, tight electrical connection in a cooking utensil with a detachable head which is dishwasher safe. This is particularly evident as the engaging region and depressible detents are positioned on the detachable implement portion. Inasmuch as the depressible detents rely on the resiliency for securing and detaching the detachable implement relative to the handle, repeated hot and cold washing cycles in the dishwasher can render the hard plastic material brittle.
Thus, while these and other prior art devices have presumably worked suitably for their specific applications, none are suited for the present contemplated application. Accordingly, there remains a need for a temperature sensing utensil having a detachable head which is dishwasher safe for removal of potentially harmful bacteria found in meats and other items to be cooked. There remains a further need for temperature sensing utensil with a detachable head which is adapted for use in temperature sensing cooking applications, and wherein the temperature sensing head may be locked to and detached from the temperature indicating handle portion to create an electrical connection. There also remains a need for a temperature sensing utensil having a plurality modular, interchangeable heads, each of which heads have a temperature sensing probe capable of piercing food to be cooked.
These and other desirable characteristics of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification (including claims) and drawings.
The present invention is directed to a temperature sensing utensil including a handle and a plurality of modular, interchangeable, detachable heads.
The handle preferably includes a hand grasping region, a temperature indicating display, a voice synthesizer and an engagement region. The hand grasping region is preferably contoured, and includes at least one tactile gripping surface which creates a grip enhancing region. The grip enhancing region is preferably positioned proximate to but away from the temperature display to allow the temperature display to remain in substantially unobstructed view without altering a user""s gripping orientation on the temperature sensing utensil. In one embodiment, the temperature display is positioned below the grip enhancing region on the fork handle.
The engagement region includes an engagement member moveable between locking and release orientations, and a temperature indicating display assembly. In one embodiment, the engagement member comprises a depressible detent operably retained in the engagement region. The detent is preferably maintained in the engagement region by a retention structure, including a spring. The spring biases the detent to an outward locking orientation. The detent is preferably ramp-shaped to facilitate attachment and locking of the detachable head onto the handle.
The temperature indicating display assembly preferably includes a display, a display circuit, electrical conduits, a power source and male electrical connection prongs. The display preferably comprises a digital temperature readout, and may also indicate the doneness of the food being cooked.
The handle also preferably includes a voice synthesizer to produce an audible output, in the form of voice generation or an alarm. The audible output may indicate a temperature or a doneness level and may be produced in a variety of languages, which may be selected by a user.
The plurality of modular, interchangeable, detachable heads preferably include a fork head having two or more tines, a spatula head including a temperature sensing probe and a detachable probe having a flexible extension and a temperature sensing probe. Other heads are likewise contemplated for use with the present invention.
Preferably, each of the modular heads includes a piercing member having a temperature sensing device for insertion into food for sensing the temperature at an internal location thereof. For instance, one tine of the fork head includes a thermocouple to measure the internal temperature of food being cooked.
The spatula head includes a temperature sensing probe extending outwardly from the outer periphery of the spatula portion for insertion into food. The temperature sensing probe preferably extends from the top portion of the spatula, or alternatively from one of the side portions of the spatula, to remain clear of food handling and manipulating operations. In one embodiment, the temperature sensing probe is oriented substantially orthogonally to the spatula portion. In another embodiment, the temperature sensing probe is positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation relative to the substantially vertical orientation of the spatula neck. This permits a user to sense the temperature of food without having to remove or alter the food relative to its cooking environment.
The detachable probe preferably includes a piercing probe connected to a separate neck and receiving region by a flexible extension. The flexible extension may be shut in an oven door or a grill hood. Thus, the probe may remain in food being cooked inside a closed cooking environment, while the receiving region remains outside the closed cooking environmentxe2x80x94still enabling the measurement of the temperature of the food.
The plurality of modular, interchangeable, detachable heads each includes a receiving region having a receiving member and temperature sensing circuitry. In one embodiment, the receiving member comprises a window positioned in a wall of the receiving region. The window is preferably of a size and shape to accept the engagement member, in one embodiment of the detent.
The temperature sensing circuitry preferably comprises a temperature sensing member, such as a thermocouple, positioned in one of the food piercing members of the modular heads. The temperature sensing member is preferably connected to electrical connection ports by an electrical conduit. Insertion of the male connecting prongs on the handle into contact with the female ports on the various heads creates an electrical connection between the temperature sensing assembly and the temperature indicating display assembly.
In an embodiment, the engagement region further includes engagement keys, while the receiving region includes engagement slots. The engagement keys and slots ensure that the detachable head is placed onto the handle in a proper mechanical and electrical orientation. In particular, the engagement keys and slots control proper orientation of the receiving region relative to the engagement region, which, in turn, ensures maintenance of the electrical circuit between the temperature sensing assembly and the temperature indicating display assembly, thus preserving uniform polarity.
The receiving region preferably releasably receives the engagement region such that positioning of the engagement member in a locking orientation relative to the receiving member locks the detachable head onto the handle, thus initiating an electrical connection between the temperature sensing circuitry and the temperature indicating display circuitry. However, positioning of the engagement member in a release orientation permits detachment of the head from the handle, and disconnection of the electrical circuit.